Automatic displaying-machine.



W. J. ROWE, G. E. SMAGK & J. O. THEBERATH. 1:. L. SMAGK, ADMINISTRATRIX or 0. n. SMAOK, DEG'D. AUTOMATIC DISPLAYING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAR.25, 1912.

Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Vii/7272i W/IZSSGSI .Ziz'vezafazs W. J. ROWE, G. E. SMAGK 8: J. C. THEBERATH. n. L. smmx, ummrsmnmx or o. n. SMAGK, DEO'D.

AUTOMATIC DISPLAYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1912.

1,082,770. Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

v r 2 SHEZ'SHEBT 2. I25 5. FIG I COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CID-.WASHINGTON, D: c.

0F LAKEWOOD, OHIO; EDITH L.

SMACK ADMINISTRATRIX OF THE ESTATE OF SAID CHARLES E. SMACK, DECEASED.

AUTOMATIC DISPLAYING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed March 25, 1912.

Patented Dec. 30, 1%13. Serial No. 685,977.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM J. Rown, residing at Lakewood, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, CHARLns SMAOK, residing at Brooklyn township, 1n the county of Guyahoga and State of ()hio, and J osnrH C. THEBERATH, residing at Lakewood, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, citizens of theUnited States, have invented certain new and useful Im provements in Automatic Displaying-Ma chines; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in automatic displaying machines and particularly to a machine of th1s character for exhibiting postcards, prints, photographs and the like.

One object of this invention is to provlde a machine which will automatically exhibit a series of postcards or the like displaying the postcards consecutively, one at a time,

size of the card exhibited.

With these objects in view and with the intention of securing other advantages which will hereinafter appear our invention consists in the features of construction and combination of parts, hereinafter described in the specification, pointed out in the claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a central vertical sect-ion through a machine embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a section on line 22, Fig 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 8. is a side view of the driving mechanism together with the motor.. Fig. 4 is an end view of the driving. mechanism together with the motor. Fig. 5 is a section on line 55, Fig. 1, looking in the direction inclicated by the arrow.

Again referring to the drawings 1 represents the outer casing of our machine. This casing is preferably made of sheet metal and is in general rectangular in shape but the rear portion thereof is higher than the front portion, the rear portion extending upwardly and forming a rectangular portion 2 which is closed at its upper end by a removable perforated hood 3. In the upper part of the rear portion of the casing and extending from side to side thereof is ar ranged a partition or wall 4 and on the rear wall of the casing opposite said partition are rigidly secured two inclined bracket forming members 6, which are preferably spaced a distance from each side of the casing. A plate 7 is arranged at an angle to the face of the partition 4 and spaced a distance therefrom and between the said plate? and the said partition 4 are arranged strips 8 which divide the space between the plate into three guideways 9, 10 and 11. In each of the said guideways is arranged a plate, shown at l4, l5 and 16. The lower ends of said plates are flexible or yielding. Set screws 17, 18 and 19 are mounted in the plate 7 and are arranged to extend through and engage said plates 14, 15 and 16 respectively,so as to hold them in position. It willbe readily understood that by loosening the set screws the said plates can be adjusted so that their lower ends can be caused to project any desired distance below the bottom edge of the partition wall 4. A shaft 20 extends from side to side of the casing slightly below and to the rear of said partition wall 4 and parallel with said partition wall. On the shaft directly below the flexible strips 14 and 16 are rigidly secured a number of toothed disks, shown at 21 and 22. The shaft 20 is arranged so it may either be driven by hand, and for this purpose a small crank handle 24 is secured to the shaft on the outside of the casing, or so that. it may be driven by a suitable motor through a driving mechanism which will be described later.

In the bottom and toward the front of the casing is mounted a slide or carriage 41. This slide carries at its forward end a chair or holder 43 which has a back member 4A 100 which is arranged at an angle to the vertical and at its forward end has a small toe-piece 45. Near the rear end of said carriage 41 is mounted a small block 47 in which is formed a vertically arranged socket 48. A standard 49 is pivoted at 49 near the upper end of the casing and the other end thereof extends down into the socket in said block. A plate 50 having upturned edges 51 is rigidly secured to the said standard 49 and bridges the space between the lower end of the partition 4 and the said holder 43 on the carriage 41 and forms a slideway for the cards, as will hereinafter appear. Now it will be seen that when the carriage 41 is drawn outwardly at the front of the machine the said standard 49 will be pulled forward at its lower end, thereby swinging up the plate 50 out of contact with the holder 43 which permits the card receptacle, hereinafter described, to be removed from the holder.

The receptacles for holding the cards are two in number and are identical in form and each in rotation serves the same purpose. One of these receptacles is arranged to rest on the bracket 6 at the rear of the partition 4 and the other receptacle rests in the holder 43 on the carriage 41. The cards that are to be exhibited are placed in the receptacle which rests on the bracket 6 and are fed into the receptacle which rests on the holder 43. After all the cards have been fed from the receptacle occupying the upper position to the receptacle occupying the lower position both receptacles are lifted out and their positions are reversed, the empty or upper receptacle being placed on the holder 43 and the filled receptacle being placed on the bracket 6. Therefore after one receptacle has once been loaded it is not necessary to handle the cards but merely to change the relative positions of the receptacles and the machine can be continuouslyoperated. Each of these receptacles is provided with an inclined bottom 55, a vertically arranged back 56 and vertical sides 57, but the front is left open and at each side near the front is formed a groove 58, the said grooves acting to retain a sheet of glass or other transparent medium at the front. of the receptacle in the holder 43, but when the receptacle is placed in the upper part of the casing the glass plate is removed. Each of the receptacles is smaller at its rear end than at its front end and square shoulders 60 are formed toward the rear of the receptacle. These shoulders form the supports for cards which rest in the receptacle with their long edges parallel with the bottom of the receptacle and the space at the rear of the receptacle accommodates the upper ends of cards which are set in the receptacle with their shorter edges resting on the bottom of the receptacle. To the front end of the casing is hinged a sleeve 62.

,This sleeve is arranged at an angle to the bottom of the machine so that the mouth of the sleeve lies in a plane approximately parallel with the plane occupied by the card which is being exhibited. In the sleeve 62 is slidably mounted a flange 65 which carries a suitable magnifying lens 66. At a suitable point within the casing is arranged means for illuminating the cards, prefer ably an incandescent bulb 67.

In addition to the crank handle the following means is provided for rotating the shaft 20: From one end of the shaft 20 is hung a frame consisting of two sidemembers 25 connected by a yoke 25. On said shaft 20 between said frame member 25 is mounted a gear 26 so as to turn freely thereon and on the shaft 20 adjacent to the gear 26 is rigidly secured a ratchet wheel 27. A pawl 28 is mounted on the gear 26 and is arranged to engage with the teeth on the ratchet wheel 27 The object of this arrangement is to allow the shaft 20 to turn when the machine is driven by hand without driving the gear 26, but the gear 26 when it is driven will always drive the shaft 20. Between the frame members 25 below the gear wheel 26 is mounted a small shaft 29 on which is mounted a grooved wheel 30 which carries a pinion 31 which engages with the gear 26. Below the grooved wheel 30 is mounted another shaft 32 on which-is mounted a friction disk 33 which carries a pulley 34. The pulley 34 and the grooved wheel 30 are connected by a belt 35-. At the lower end of one of the frame members 25 is mounted a stud 39 which extends out to a curved slot 40 in the wall of the casing. 36 represents a motor of theusual type and on the motor shaft is mounted a friction cone 37 which is adapted to come in contact with the friction disk 33. By taking hold of the stud 39 the frame which carries the gearing can be moved back and forth rela-' tive to the cone on the motor shaft and thereby change the point of contact of the driving cone with the friction disk 33 so that the speed at which the said disk is driven can be varied as desired.

From the foregoing description the operation of the device will be readily understood. The cards which are to be exhibited are placed in the receptacle in the upper part of the casing, the cards being shown in dotted lines and indicated by a. The weight of the cards will press the front edge of the lowermost card against the toothed wheels 21 and 22. As the shaft 20 is turned rotating the said toothed wheels 21 and 22 the said lowermost card will be drawn forward and will pass under the flexible ends of the plates 14, 15 and 16 and the ends of the said plates will press them against the said wheels so that the card will be brought on to the plate 50 from whence it will slide down into the receptacle on the holder 43. The lens 66 is then adjusted to the proper focus and by looking through the said lens the card will appear to great advantage. The shaft 20 will be turning continuously but can be so timed that the time consumed in drawing out each card will give ample time for the inspection of the card in the lower receptacle. After all the cards have been fed from the upper receptacle to the lower receptacle the receptacles are removed and their positions reversed as before stated and the glass is removed from the filled receptacle in the upper part of the casing and is placed at the front of the receptacle in the lower part of the casing.

lVhat we claim is,-

1. In a displaying machine, a casing, a receptacle for holding exhibits removably mounted in the upper part of said casing, a carriage arranged in the lower part of said casing and capable of being drawn out-- wardly, a support mounted on said carriage, a receptacle removably mounted in said support, a slideway pivotally supported in said casing and bridging the space between the front edge of the bottom of the upper receptacle and the rear top edge of the lower receptacle, means operatively connecting said slideway with said carriage so that the outward movement up said slideway out of contact with said lower receptacle and means for feeding the exhibits from the upper receptacle to the lower receptacle.

2. In a displaying machine, a casing, an

exhibit holding receptacle mounted in said casing, said receptacle being open at its front end, a partition arranged in front of said receptacle and terminating a short distance abovethe front edge of the bottom of said receptacle, guideways formed on said partition, plates arranged in said guideways and having their lower ends extending below said partition, a shaft arranged below the front bottom edge of said receptacle, serrated disks mounted on said shaft and adapted to engage the lowermost exhibit in said receptacle and draw it therefrom, means for rotating said shaft and an exhibit holding receptacle mounted below said first-mentioned receptacle and arranged to receive the exhibits therefrom.

3. In a displaying machine, a casing, an exhibit holding receptacle mounted in said casing, said receptacle being open at its front end, a partition arranged in front of said receptacle and terminating a short distance above the front edge of the bottom of said receptacle, guideways formed on said partition, plates having flexible lower ends arranged in said guideways and having their lower ends extending below said partition, means for adjustably holding said of said carriage will tipv plates in said guideways, a shaft arranged below the front bottom edge of said receptacle, serrated disks mounted on said shaft and adapted to engage the lowermost ex- I hibit in said receptacle and draw it therefrom, means for rotating said shaft, an exhibit holding receptacle mounted below said first-mentioned receptacle and an inclined slideway bridging the space between the lower front edge of the upper receptacle and the rear top edge of the lower receptacle.

4. In a displaying machine, a casing, an exhibit holding receptacle removably mounted in said casing, said receptacle being open at its front end, a partition arranged in front of said receptacle and terminating a short distance above the front edge of the bottom of said receptacle, guideways formed on said partition plates arranged in sald guideways and having their lower ends extending below said partition, a shaft ar ranged below the front bottom edge of said receptacle, serrated disks mounted on said shaft below the lower ends of said plates, means for rotating said shaft, an exhibit holding receptacle removably mounted below said first-mentioned receptacle, said receptacle having a transparent front and a lens mounted in said casing in line with the front of said lower receptacle.

5. In a displaying machine, a casing, brackets mounted in said casing, a receptacle having an open front removably mounted on said brackets, a partition arranged in front of said receptacle and terminating a short distance above the front edge of the bottom of said receptacle, guideways formed on said partition, plates arranged in said guideways and having their lower ends extending below said partition,

a shaft arranged below the front bottom serrated disks the lower ends edge of said receptacle, mounted on said shaft below of said plates, means for rotating said shaft, a receptacle removably mounted below said first-mentioned receptacle, said receptacle having a removable transparent front and a lens mounted in said casing in line with the front of said lower receptacle.

6. In a displaying machine, a casing, a receptacle having an open front removably mounted in said casing, a partition arranged in front of said receptacle and terminating a short distance above the front edge of the bottom of said receptacle, guideways formed on said partition, plates arranged in said guideways and having their lower ends extending below said partition, a shaft arranged below the bottom edge of said receptacle, serrated disks mounted on said shaft below the lower ends of said plates, means for rotating said shaft, an outwardly movable carriage arranged in said casing, a support mounted on said carriage, a receptacle removably mounted in 'riage will tip up the said slideway out of said support, a slideway pivotally supported Contact With the said lower receptacle.

in said casing and bridging the space be- WILLIAM J. ROWE.

tween the front edge of the bottom of the CHARLES E. SMACK. upper receptacle and the rear top edge of JOSEPH C. THEBERATH. the lower receptacle and means operatively \Vitnesses: 1

connecting said slideway with said carriage VIo'roR C. LYNCH,

so that the outward movement of said car- N. L. MGDONNELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

